Ant-trap.



J W. MERGER.

ANT TRAP. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1909.

Patented Dec.28,1909.

aMbe-Mo'a Wanna ANDREW, & Gamm co PHOTO-LHMOGRAPHERS wAsnmGmN. n. c.

UNITED STATES "PAT NT OFFICE.

JOHN W. MERGER, 0F JOSHUA, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO W. C. HASHA AND W. N. ESTES, OF CALLAHAN COUNTY, TEXAS.

ANT-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MERCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Joshua, in the county of Johnson, State of Texas, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Ant-Traps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in traps and more particularly to the kind employed for catching insects.

It has for its object the provision of a device of that kind particularly adapted for catching ants as they emerge from their burrows. With most devices of this kind now in use, no provision is made for removing the ants from the trap in a manner to accomplish their destruction. The present invention aims to remedy this defect by providing a trap from which the insects may be shaken into a fire or other destructive element.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim. It being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification: Figure l is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

The numeral 5 designates the body portion or receptacle which may be of any suitable material and having the form of a hollow truncated cone, the base of which is designated by the numeral 6 and constitutes the bottom of the trap, the upper edge portion of the side wall is curved inwardly and downwardly to provide a depending lip or flange 7, lying in a vertical plane with respect to the side wall 8 of the receptacle, and serving to prevent the exit of insects through the opening 9 at the top. The bottom 6 is centrally provided with an annular opening 10 which is considerably less in diameter than the upper opening 9.

By referring now to the drawings it will be seen that a funnel shaped member designated by the numeral 11 is of the usual inverted frusto conical shape and at its nar row end is provided with a cylindrical tube or spout 12 of a length equal to one half the length of the body portion 13 of the funnel or substantially so. The body portion 13 of the funnel corresponds in height to the outer receptacle and its upper end portion is curved outwardly and downwardly to provide a flange 14 parallel with and in a plane with the flange 7. The cylindrical spout is removably fitted in the opening 10 when the parts are in position as shown in the drawings.

In the use of the device the outer receptacle, is so positioned that the opening 10 will lie directly over the ant burrow. In this position the funnel member is inserted through the opening and the spout 12 forced into the ant burrow. The insects on emerging from the burrow will pass through the funnel member and fall into the outer receptacle from which they will be prevented escaping by reason of the flange 7 and also be prevented from returning to the burrow by means of the flange 14. It is customary that the device be applied in the early morn ing when the insects are still in the burrow and in the evening to remove the trap. After the device has been removed from its position in the burrow the funnel-shaped member 18 is withdrawn and the outer receptacle held over a fire, when the heat from the latter reaches the bottom 6 the insects will immediately rush through the opening 10 and fall into the fire. The outer surface of the outer receptacle is provided with a coating composed of a mixture of paint and sand so also is the inner surface of the funnel-shaped member and spout. This rough ened surface provides a foot hold for the ants emerging from the burrow and for those on the outside of the trap for climbing up the outer receptacle to gain admission to the interior of the trap.

. Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new, is:

An ant trap comprising a hollow frusto conical shaped receptacle having a base plate 11 the upper edge portion of which is bent outcentrally provided with an opening and its outer edge bent inwardly and vertically downward to provide a flange, a member provided with a hollow cylindrical portion slidingly fitted in the opening of the base, the lower end of said cylindrical portion extending considerably below the lower face I of the base and the upper or opposite end Witnesses: terminating in a funnel-shaped extension, GEORGE BLAIR, l L. H. HUNTER.

wardly and downwardly to provide aflange spaced from the first-named flange with its upper side substantially in a plane with the lower side of the first-named flange.

ture, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. MERGER-i In testimony whereof, I affix my signa- 1 

